Method and apparatus for garment marking



Dec. 12, 1961 P. N. BRAUN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GARMENT MARKING FiledSept. 11, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Dec. 12, 1961 P. N. BRAUN3,012,484

METHOD AND APPARATUS F OR GARMENT MARKING Filed Sept. 11, 1959 eSheets-Sheet 2 w 9 cu 9 W 8 Q 8 \S 9 m N qo I Q I w L I Q) L e E iINVENTOR.

Phil/p IV. Braun ATTORNEY Dec. 12, 1961 P. N. BRAUN 3,012,484

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GARMENT MARKING Filed Sept. 11, 1959 6Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Phil/)0 N. Braun ATTORN EY Dec. 12, 1961 P. N.BRAUN 3,012,484

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GARMENT MARKING Filed Sept. 11, 1959 eSheets-Sheet 4 1 N VEN TOR. Philip N. Braun ATTORNEY Dec. 12, 1961 P. N.BRAUN 3,012,484

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GARMENT MARKING Filed Sept. 11, 1959 6Sheets-Sheet 5 I INVENTOR.

Phi/122 N. Braun ATTORNEY ZIZ 215 Dec. 12, 1961 ZIO P. N. BRAUN METHODAND APPARATUS FOR GARMENT MARKING Filed Sept. 11, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 6INVENTOR. Philip N. Braun ATTORNEY 3,ii12,484 Patented Dec. 12, 19613,012,484 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GARMENT MARKING Philip N. Braun, 237Robineau Road, Syracuse, N.Y. Filed Sept. 11, 1959, Ser. No. 839,474Claims. (Cl. 93-$8) This invention relates to a garment marking machineto be used in dry cleaning and laundering establishments. Experience hasshown that in such establishments the average number of garments broughtin by a customer is such that an indentification strip tape having aprovision for four separate tags thereon is sufficient to mark both thegarments of the individual customer and the invoice so as to enable thegarments to be identified and collected together after the completion ofthe dry cleaning or laundering operations.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a garmentmarking machine which is relatively simple to Operate and economical tomanufacture and which functions to permit the marking for purposes ofidentification of each of the garments delivered to the laundering ordry cleaning establishment by a customer.

Further, it is an object of this invention to provide a method ofmarking each of the garments in an individual bundle for processingthrough a garment processing establishment whereby the garments in thebundle may be identified for segregation and collection, after thecompletion of said processing, with the proper invoice for the bundle.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations andconstructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is bad to the accompanyingdrawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in allthe views.

In the drawings- FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional elevational view of thepreferred embodiment of the apparatus comprising the invention withparts broken away for purpose of clarity.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional elevational view similar to FIGURE 1 ofthe opposite side of the machine.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the machine with parts omitted forpurposes of clarity.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 with the parts shown in a secondposition.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 illustrating a second operationof the machine.

FIGURE 7 is an illustration of the strip tape utilized in the machine toform the identification tags.

Briefly described the machine comprising the preferred embodiment ofthis invention functions to feed the strip tape to and past a tagaffixing station and into engagement with a stop. A garment is drapedover a garment supporting platen and moved into engagement with a meanscomprising the tag afiixing station. This operation serves to affix thetag to the garment and simultaneously severs the forwardmost tag on thestrip from the remainder of the strip. Upon removal of the garment andthe attached tag the feed means functions to feed the remainder of thestrip tape to and past the tag afiixing' station into engagement withthe stop. Means are provided for rendering the tag severing meansinoperative whereby the remaining tag or tags and end portion of thetape strip may be at any time afiixed to the garment or bundle invoiceso as to facilitate the segregation and collection of the taggedgarments upon completion of the laundering or dry cleaning process.

Briefly described the method of the invention comprises feeding a striptape having a plurality of tags formed thereon to a tag afiixingstation, each tag on the tape being provided with the sameidentification indicia formed thereon, afiixing the first tag on saidtape to a garment severing the tag from the tape, aflixing and severingeach successive tag formed on the tape to the garments in the samebundle and atfixing the last or remaining tag or tags and end portion ofthe tape to the bundle invoice.

Referring to the drawings, the machine comprising the preferredembodiment of the invention comprises a housing having a bottom wall 10,side walls 12 and 14, and a rear wall 16 which extends upwardly from thebottom wall 1% and terminates in a curved portion 18 forming a top wall.The bottom wall it) is provided with a plurality of supporting feet 26for supporting the housing on a stand, or the like.

The apparatus for aflixing the identification tags to the garmentscomprises a main frame having a bottom plate 22 which is affixed to thebottom wall 10 by means of the screws 24, 26. A pair of side members 28and 30 are formed with legs 32 and 34 affixed to the bottom plate 22 byany suitable manner such as welding, or the like. The side members 28and 30 are joined together at their rearward ends by a back portion 36.

A garment supporting platen, or arm 40 is mounted for pivotal movementbetween the side members 28 and 30 by means of a shaft 42 to which isaflixed to the inner end of the arm 4t) and the shaft is journalled foroscillation in the bearings 44 and 46 mounted in the side frame members.

The arm 44 is provided intermediate its ends with a pair of arcuatelyshaped guide members 48 and 50 which serve to guide the movement of thearm 40 toward and away from a stapler, generally indicated at 52, whichis mounted in the frame between the side members 28 and 3h. The outerend of the arm 40* is provided with a pair of handles 54 and 56 and aforwardly extending garment supporting platen 58 which is afiixed to thearm 40 adjacent the handles 54 and 56 by screws, or the like 60. Theforward end face of the platen 58 is provided with an anvil 62, seeFIGURE 3, having staple clinching grooves 64. Mounted for pivotalmovement on the platen 58 is a garment supporting member 66. The member66 is provided with a rearwardly extending handle 68 and the sideportions of the member 66 are pivotally mounted on a pair of screws 70.The member 66 is urged to the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 by meansof a compression spring 72 received between the upper surface of theplaten 58 and the underside of the handle 68.

Also mounted for pivotal movement about the screws is a tag attachingclip or clamp member 74 provided with a rearwardly extending handle 76.A compression spring 78 serves to urge the clamp member 74 into theposition shown in FIGURE 1. The purpose of the clamp member 74 is toreceive a flag tag which indicates that special attention such asrepair, or the like, is necessary on the garment to which the flag tagis attached.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, it will be seen that an upwardly extendingplate 80 is afiixed to the main cross shaft 42. The side frame member 30is provided with a slot 81 through which a pin 83 extends, the pin beingaffixed to the plate 30. Consequently, plate 80 may move relative to theside members 28 and 30 of the frame and the rear portion 36 by reason ofthe pin 83 and slot 81 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Theupper end portion of the plate 30 is provided with an outwardlyextending L-shaped arm 82, the L-portion 8 of the arm serving as arearward stop for the stapler 52.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the stapler 52 isremovably mounted in the machine in a manner similar to that describedmore particularly in Patent No. 2,808,767. The stapler 52 is provided atits lower portion with a hooked member 86 which is received in front ofthe cross shaft 42. A yoke member 88 is afiixed to a cross shaft 90journalled in the side frame members 28 and 30. The outer end of theshaft 90 has a handle 92 afiixed thereto and a tension spring 94 isaffixed at one end to the handle 92 and at its opposite end to a pin 96carried on the side frame member 28 whereby the handle 92, shaft 90 andyoke 33 are urged by the spring 94 to the position shown in FIGURE 1 toyieldably maintain the stapler in the housing. As will be apparent,movement of the handle 92 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed inFIGURE 1, which movement is limited by the stop pin 97, will permit thehook 86, formed on the stapler, to be disengaged from the shaft 42 topermit removal of the stapler.

The upper end of the stapler, which is conventional, is provided with areciprocating staple driver 106 which is positioned against a hardenedplate member 102, see FIGURE 3, carried by cross member 104, which issuitably affixed to the side frame members 28 and 30. As will beobvious, when the arm 40 is moved in a clockwise direction, as viewed inFIGURE 1, into engagement with the stapler, continued movement of thearm 40 will move the plate 80 and the stapler 52 rearwardly on thedriver 100, thus urging a staple out of the stapler 52. The plate 89 isnormally urged to its forward position by means of a tension spring 106affixed at one end to the plate 80 by means of a pin 108 and at itsopposite end to a pin 119 carried by the side frame member 36.

Affixed to the upper end of the plate 80 adjacent its forward edge is anoutwardly extending L-shaped plate 112 as by means of screws, or thelike 114. Referring to FIGURE 3, the plate 112 has a V-shaped track orguide 116 mounted on its upper end, which guide is adapted to receivethe strip tape. The outer end of the plate 112 is provided with a fingerengaging member 113 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The guide116 has a slide 120 mounted therein for movement along said guide 116.The slide 120 is formed at its rearward end with a finger engagingportion 122 which cooperates with the finger engaging member 118 tofacilitate movement of the slide 120 along the track 116 to the left, asviewed in FIGURE 3. The forward portion of the slide 120 is formed witha nose 124 which functions to engage the rearward end of the tape stripwhen positioned in the guide 116 so as to move the tape strip along theguide 116. Movement of the slide 120 is accomplished by means of a chain126 atfixed at one end to the rearward end of slide 120 and entrainedover a pulley 128 mounted by any suitable means such as a screw 130 onthe rear of the plate 112. The chain extends downwardly from the pulley128 and has a weight 132 affixed to its opposite end and the weight isreceived in a box-shaped guide channel 134 afiixed by any suitable meanssuch as screws 136 to the side frame member 30. As will he thereforeobvious, the weight and chain serve to urge the slide 120 along theguide 116 under the influence of gravity to the right, as viewed inFIGURE 3.

The forward end of the guide 116 is positioned in registration with anotch formed in a block 140 afiixed to the upper end of the plate 80whereby a tape strip which is positioned in the guide 116 may be fed toand through the block 140. Referring to FIGURE 3, an

L-shaped stop member, generally indicated at 142, is mounted at one endon the plate 89 and is provided with a portion 144- positioned in thepath of movement of the tape strip so as to serve as a stop thereforwhereby when the slide urges the tape through the member and intoengagement with the stop 144 further movement of the tape will behalted. As best seen in FIGURE 4, the lower end of the member 142 isprovided with a for- Wardly extending portion 146 which is mounted forpivotal movement about a pin 148. The forward end of the portion 146 isprovided with a slot 150 through which a screw 152 is received andthreaded in the side frame member 30 whereby to limit the pivotalmovement of the member 142, all whereby the member 142 may be oscillatedin a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG- URES 1 and 4, to a positionwhere the stop 144 is out of the path of movement of the tape strip.

Means are provided for severing the forwardmost tag formed on the tapestrip from the strip after it has been stapled to a garment supported bythe platen 58 on the arm 45 in order to permit removal of the garmentand stapled ta from the machine and tape strip. The severing meanscomprises an L-shaped arm 156 which is pivotally mounted about a pin 158aifixed to the member 40. The forward end portion of the arm portion 156is formed with a knife edge 160 which cooperates with a plate forming afixed knife 162 afiixed to the block 140 whereby when a strip tape hasbeen fed through the guide opening 162 formed in the block 140 clockwisemovement of the arm 156, as viewed in FIGURE 4, will cause the knifeedge 16!) to sever the forwardmost portion of the tape in cooperationwith the fixed knife 162.

Movement of the arm 156 about the pivot 153 is limited by a stop pin166. The rearward end of the arm 156 is pivotally connected, as at 168,to a downwardly extending link 170. The lowermost portion of the link isslotted to provide a forward guide track 172 and a rearward guide track174 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Movement of the link 170in a downward direction so as to oscillate the arm 156 is accomplishedby means of an arm 176 which is affixed to the rear portion of the arm40 on the rear side of the shaft 42. The arm 176 is provided at itsouter end with a headed pin 178 which, in the position shown in FIGURE4, rides downwardly in the track 172 to the point shown in FIGURE 5where continued movement of the the arm 40 causes the pin 178 to engagethe lowermost portion 179 of the track 172 to move the link 170downwardly, thus oscillating the arm 156 to effect the severing action,as previously described. Return movement of the arm 40 causes the pin178 to engage the upper or top edge 180 of the slot, thus returning thelink 170 and the arm 156 to the position shown in FIGURE 4. A tensionspring 182 affixed at one end to the link 170 and at its opposite end toa bracket 184 suitably mounted as by screws 186, or the like, on therear wall 36 of the frame serves to aid the return movement of the link170 and the arm 156.

The link member 170 is provided intermediate its ends with a right anglebracket affixed by screws, or the like, 192 to the link 170. Upondownward movement of the link 170, the bracket 190 moves out ofengagement with the lower end of the pivotal stop member 142 to permitthe stop 144 to be moved out of the path of movement of the strip tapeto facilitate removal of the garment and attached tag from the tape.Return movement of the link 170 to the position shown in FIGURE 4,serves to return the stop member 142 to its normal position by theengagement of the bracket 190 with the member 142, as best seen inFIGURE 4.

In operation, a strip tape 200, see FIGURE 7, having four tag formingportions, 202, 204, 206 and 208 and an end portion 210, is mounted inthe feed track 116 after the slide 121) has been moved to its outermostposition in the track 116. The engagement of the nose 124 of the slide125? with the end of the portion 210 of the tape 2% moves the tape 2%!)along the track 116 and through the guide notch 164 formed in the member140' to a point where the forewardmost portion of the tape adjacent thefirst tag forming portion 208 engages the stop 144. When a garment isdraped over the platen 58 and the arm 40 is moved into engagement withthe stapler, a staple is ejected through the tag forming portion 208juxtaposed over the stapler head and the garment and the legs of thestaple are clinched by the staple clinching grooves 64 formed on theanvil 62. This stapling is effected by the movement of the plate member8% in the frame and the movement of the stapler head with respect to thedriver 1% which is held against movement by its engagement with theplate 102.

As just described, this movement additionally serves to sever the tagforming portion 268 from the tape 200 whereby the garment has anidentification tag having identification indicia formed thereon, such asis indicated at 215 in FIGURE 7 attached to the garment. Theidentification indicia 215 may be comprised of heavily shaded characters212 to indicate a lot number and lighter shaded characters 214 toindicate a bundle numher, or the like. As will be obvious, the tape 200may be provided with any identification indicia which is desired. Itwill also be obvious While the tape 200' has been shown as provided withfour tag forming portions, as many, or as few such portions may beprovided as is necessary. The number, four, has been selected asexperience has indicated that the average customer has no more than twoor three garments which he desires to have laundered or dry cleaned.

The fourth tag forming portion, in this case 202, is provided forattachment to supplementary identification indicia such as the bundleinvoice to facilitate the identification of the respective garments withthe invoice, Assuming, for example, that in a particular bundle threegarments have been marked, tags 208, 206, 264 are attached to thegarments, as just described, and the tag 202 is attached to the bundleinvoice in a manner to be next described.

The plate 112 is provided with an auxiliary guide track 220 which isaffixed to the plate 112 by any suitable means. The track 220 ispositioned in angular relationship with respect to the track 116, as ibest seen in FIGURE 3. The invoice is positioned in the track 220 andmoved into juxtaposition with the stapler head and the last tag formingportion 202 which is engaging the stop 144. The tag severing knife 160is rendered inoperative by a manner to be hereinafter described and thearm 40 is moved forwardly in the manner previously described whereby toailix the remainder of the tape to the invoice,

The means for rendering the tag severing knife inoperative comprises anoperating arm 2.24 which is pivotally mounted on the side member 28, asat 226, by any suitable means such as a nut and bolt, or the like. Thelower end of the arm 224 is pivotally connected to a link 228, as at230, see FIGURE 6. As best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the opposite end ofthe link 228 is pivotally connected at its outer end, as at 232, to ayoke member 234 having its legs 236 and 238 pivotally mounted on screwsor the like, 240, carried by the side frame members 28 and 30. Referringnow to FIGURE 2, the leg 238 of the yoke member 234 is posiitonedadjacent a lever 242. The lever 242 is formed at its inner end with anelongate slot 244 through which a screw 246 is received, the inner endof the screw 246 being threadedly received in the side frame member 30whereby the lever 242 is free to move about the screw 246 by reason ofthe slot 244. The outer end of the member 242 is pivotally connected, asat 250, to a pin 252 which is in turn connected to the rearward portionof the link 170 adjacent the slot 174, all whereby movement of the yokemember 23% in a counter-clockwise position, as

6 shown in FIGURE 2, will move the lever 242 and link 170 also in acounter-clockwise direction, whereby to align the slot 174 in the link170 with the pin 178 carried by the arm 175. As will be seen, the slot174 extends downwardly in the link 179 further than does the slot 172,whereby when the pin 17% moves in the slot 174 no vertical movement ofthe link 17th will take place thus eliminating any oscillation of thearm 156 and rendering the knife edge inoperative.

The yoke member 234 is moved in the counter-clockwise direction, asviewed in FIGURE 2, by movement of the handle 224 from the dashed lineposition illustrated in FIGURE 6 to the solid line position.Consequently, the end portion of the tape 210 will not be severed fromthe remaining tag forming portion 202. As will also be obvious, thisfeature also has the advantage that if there is only one garment in abundle only the forewardmost tag forming portion 208 on the tape strip2% need be severed from the strip and attached to the single garment.Thereafter by rendering the tag severing means inoperative, as justdescribed, the remainder of the tape strip may be attached to theinvoice.

As will be obvious, this invention provide both a method and apparatusfor the simple and economical marking for identification purposes of thegarments in a bundle for processing through a laundering or dry cleaningestablishment.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for afiixing identification indicia to garments, or thelike, comprising a garment supporting arm, means for afiixingidentification tags to a garment supported by said arm upon relativeoperative movement between said arm and said means, means for feeding astrip of identification tags to and past said affixing means intoengagement with a stop member whereby the forwardmost tag is positionedin the path of movement between said garment supporting arm and saidafiixing means, and means operable during said operative movement tosever said forewardmost tag from said strip, and means operable torender said severing means inoperative.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said last mentioned means comprisesa manually operable lever connected to said severing means and operablewhen actuated to render said severing means inoperative during saidoperative movement between said garment supporting arm and said tagaflixing means.

3. An identification marking machine for feeding a plurality of garmentmarking tags in strip form to a tag affixing station comprising agarment supporting arm and tag afiixing means mounted for relativemovement toward and away from each other, tag strip guide means forgmiding the feeding of said strip of tags into the path of movementbetween said arm and said tag affixing means to affix the forwardmosttag of said strip to a garment supported on said arm during operativemovement between said arm and said tag affixing means, means for feedingsaid strip transversely to the path of said operative movement and stopmeans positioned adjacent said tag affixing means to limit the feed ofsaid strip, and tag severing means operable during said operativemovement to sever said forwardmost tag from said strip.

4. Claim 3, wherein said machine is provided with manually operablemeans for selectively rendering said severing means inoperative.

5. An identification marking machine for feeding a plurality of garmentmarking tags in strip form to a tag affixing station comprising agarment supporting arm and tag ailixing means mounted for relativemovement toward and away from each other, tag strip guide means forguiding the feeding of said strip of tags into the path of movementbetween said arm and said tag affixing means to aflix the forwardmosttag of said strip to a garment supported on said arm during operativemovement between said arm and said tag affixing means, means for stripand the remainder of said strip may be afiixed to supplementaryidentification data positioned in said auxiliary guide means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSErickson Mar. 11, 1952 Long Jan. 28, 1958 Filsinger et al. July 21, 1959

